"I
beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Romans
12:1,2

I.Introduction

A.A famous preacher once said that "a successful man is one who finds
out what God wants him to accomplish
with his life, and then fulfills it." Therefore, the true measure of a
man's success is not in his social status, his bank account, his influence, or
his fame. It simply is doing what God wants him to do.

B.This lesson will acquaint the Christian with how to find what Godís
will is for them, as revealed in the Bible, so he can begin to live the abundant
Christian life in the centre of God's perfect will!

II.Understanding The Will of God

Let's
first understand some things:

Most people are self-willed
by nature. They do what they do because they want to. The Christian's
actions however, are not to be driven by self, but rather by God. Can you give a verse that says such?
___________.

God created you for His glory and _____________ (Rev
4:11), and therefore, not for yours (1 Cor
6:19,20). That may come as a surprise!

There are two kinds of wills that God has for a person
- His general, all
encompassing will for people everywhere; and His specific will for each individual.

Before God reveals His specific plan to an individual, that individual must be
submitted to God's authority over his or her life. Every person must want to
not only find God's plan, but already be willing to do it no matter what it
happens to be! Why try and tell someone specifically what to do with their
life, when you know they won't do it?

The key rests in whether you are truly interested in
not just knowing the will of God,
but more importantly, interested in DOING it (Romans 8:5; James 1:22)!

III.God's General Will is Found
in His Word, the Bible

A.You will never discover God's will without the Bible, because God has
given seven foundational instructions/plans for all mankind to live by.

B.God's general will for all of mankind is to:

1.Be __________ (1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9)!
Everyone must begin here!

2.Be filled with the ___________
(Eph 5:17,18). A surrendering of your life to
the work and authority of God over your will and plans.

3.Be thankful in _______ things (Eph 5:19,20; 1
Thess 5:18)

4.Be submissive servants in everything you do (Eph
6:5-8), remembering "ye
serve the ___________________"
(Col 3:23,24). This includes submitting to all
the laws of the land (1 Pet 2:13-15).

5.Be sanctified (1
Thess 4:3-7). Sanctification means that we separate ourselves from sins
and evils so that we can be holy and clean objects in God's hands (2
Tim 2:21). This involves every Christian coming away from all the
activities and influences that hinder us from serving the Lord with our whole
heart (2 Cor 6:17,18).

6.That we are to sometimes ______________ (1 Pet
3:14-17; 4:19).

7.That all Christians ultimately become conformed to the image of God's
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 8:28,29).

If you are not
currently obeying God's clearly revealed will for your life (the above list),
then God can never reveal His specific will to you because the one builds upon
the other (Matt 25:21).

IV.Finding God's Specific Will For Your Life

A.The specific will of God for your life is just an extension of the
general will of God for all of mankind. Therefore, the will of God for your life
will not violate His general will - there are no "exceptions to the
rule," and God's will never contradicts His word.

B.Finding God's specific will is referred to as "proving" it, to
yourself and to the world (Rom 12:1,2).
Whatever you discover, will have to be proven as being God's will for you. God
expects you to live His plans. This
requires you to "sacrifice" your plans and goals, and replace
them with His!

C.Let the word of God "speak" to your heart. God speaks directly
to you through the Bible (Like Gen 12:1 where
Abraham is told to leave his family and go to a place that God would lead him
to). You must therefore be saturating your mind with Scriptures so that God can
"talk."

D.One of the main purposes of the Spirit of God in your life is to guide
you in your decisions (John 14:26; 16:13; 1 Cor
2:9,10). When making decisions, especially ones that you are unsure of
yourself, pray, and seek both wisdom (James 1:5), and the confirmation of the Holy Spirit before
proceeding (Rom 8:14).

E.Wait for God to "open doors" of opportunity. Sometimes, when we
just "push ahead," we find ourselves forcing through blocked
"doors" that God intended for us to keep out of (like marrying the
wrong person, or working at the wrong job). The Apostle Paul sensed God blocking
his path several times so that he would ultimately find the right path (Acts
16:6-10). Learn to accept circumstances as guideposts in the direction of
God's leading (Just "___________ in
the steps of the Lord," Ps 37:23).

F.Finally, make sure that in your decisions, you "______
in the Lord with ALL thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding,"
(Prov 3:5,6). God's will does not always make
sense - but it is always best! Therefore, when you find God's will, you will
have ______ (Psalm 37:37), because He knows
best! A Christian's attitude must be to let God's "_____" be done, not
our own (James 4:13-15)

V.Some Discussion

Work through
the following issues in life, and discuss how you would go about finding God's
will in the various situations. Think of some additional helpful Scriptures that
would guide you in finding Godís will for each issue.

Concerning Marriage-
decide what qualifications would God have for you to choose from? (2
Cor 6:14; Dt 10:12)Ask yourself, Is the person saved? Are they faithful in
seeking God's will, or only self-centered? Are they mature, or childish? Have
you sought wisdom about your desires from your parents (God wants us to honour
them, and seek their counsel)?
_____________________________________________________________

Finding a job - what would be important for a Christian
to look for in a job, and how would the Christian know it is the right one for
him or her? What kind of job should be accepted? When is it time to leave a job?
_________ ____________________________________________________________

How do I find my ministry that the Lord has for me? Is
God looking for talent or availability (Philp
4:13,19; 1Cor 15:58)? Am I worried about people's impressions of me, or
pleasing God? _______________________
____________________________________________________________